1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a print image of the type wherein security information or security protection is incorporated in the print elements of the print image, as well as to an apparatus and a storage medium for producing such a print image.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to print a print image composed of a number of elements or parts onto a piece of mail with a postage meter machine. Such a print image is regularly composed, for example, of a postage stamp image, a date stamp image and an advertising image, as shown in FIG. 8.
A method for generating a print image that a postage meter machine prints on a carrier (piece of mail) is disclosed, for example, by European Application 0 762 334 or European Application 0 789 333. It is known from these publications that, for printing a print image that is composed of a number of sub-images, a microprocessor of the postage meter machine accesses a number of picture element datafiles, with the picture elements that define an image element or a text element (sub-image) of the print image being combined in each picture element datafile. Each picture element datafile, moreover, has an identification code allocated to it under which the appertaining sub-image (image element or text element) can be located. The microprocessor also accesses a control datafile that contains a number of sub-image datafiles that respectively contain sub-image data that define a sub-image of the print image. The microprocessor processes the sub-image datafiles of the print image to be printed and, when processing the sub-image datafiles, employs the sub-image data for generating the print image from the picture element data of at least one picture element datafile identified by the respective reference code.
It is desirable in known postage meter machines to permit specific functions of the postage meter machine to be implemented only after authorization with a card or input of a password. Further, there are security rules that forbid certain parts of the print image from being individually freely designed, for example the postage value and/or the date stamp. The spatial position of the date and/or postage stamp on a piece of mail is also fixed and should not be individually varied.
The problem also arises in the manufacture of postage meter machines and their setting that different rules about the print image layout must be taken into consideration dependent on where they are used. Thus, for example, the postal rules in the USA are different from Germany. It is in fact possible to program a postage meter machine with specific defaults and data at the manufacturer, based on security-dependent considerations, however, this should only ensue centrally at the manufacturer but not at subsequent dealer locations. Such a central data input is contrary to the individual adaptation of the postage meter machine to various customers in different countries. Thus, every customer will want to print its own advertizing message, although it must likewise be prevented that an advertising imprint has the form of a postmark, so that the advertising imprint by itself is not mistaken for a postmark. For this reason and because it is also important to prevent obscenities (pornography) from being present in the postmark field, it is desirable that the operator of the postage meter machine can undertake possible changes to only a limited extent, so that the regulations and security rules that exist in a country can be adhered to.
It is also known to input print image data or print sub-image data into the postage meter machine with a chip card. The data from the chip cards are transferred into a memory of the postage meter machine, so that the microprocessor can compile the sub-image data required for printing.
Since which user will use the postage meter machine in which way can usually not be predicted upon manufacture of:the postage meter machine and information about the user of the postage meter machine only exist in the final distribution stages, it is desirable in view of the existing problem of adhering to regulations and security levels that the individual setting of a postage meter machine can be undertaken on site, i.e. in the country of the postage meter machine user or at the user""s premises, so that the individual design can be implemented fast and economically, even, in certain circumstances, in conjunction with the advertizing agency of the postage meter machine distributor.
The disadvantage of known chip card systems is that, given adaptation of the postage meter machine at the manufacturer, only slight flexibility is possible or, when the setting of the print image data is undertaken during the final stages of distribution or by the contractual dealer, there is the risk of misuse and incorrect setting of the most important print image data. Very thorough training and technical schooling for the data input is then also required on the part of the distributor or dealer, which is already impractical for cost reasons.
An object of the present invention is to avoid these disadvantages so that an image, particularly a print image, can be generated that assures a high level of security and great flexibility for individual adaptation.
The object is achieved in accordance with the invention in an image, particularly the print image to be printed by the postage meter machine, which is composed of a number of elements with different security levels are assigned to the elements. The deletion or modification of image elements is only possible when the security levels respectively required for the image elements are met or documentation thereof is produced in the input/modification of new image data.
If the presence (authorization) of the required security level is not documented in the sub-image input/sub-image modification, the desired, new input or modification cannot ensue.
When, for example, an image element to which a specific security level, for example security level 4, is assigned is to be replaced by another picture element, then this should only be possible when the security level 4 (or higher) can be entered or documented in the operation of the postage meter machine, for example with a chip card.
A hierarchic structure of security levels makes it possible, first, to provide the needed flexibility in the setting of the postage meter machine and, second, to preclude the possibility of undesired manipulations. A system wherein (sensitive) image elements can only be deleted, input anew or modified when proof of meeting the correspondingly allocated security level is produced, also makes sit possible for picture elements having a lower security level, for example advertizing texts, to be entered, modified or enabled only shortly before the commissioning of the postage meter machine.